Be Mine
by ladyofeverything
Summary: The arrival of Cora's old suitor sets Robert's teeth on edge.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I started this quite a while ago based on a prompt but I only recently decided I wanted to flesh it out into something publishable. I've lost the original prompt, but the basic premise was that the arrival of an old suitor of Cora's makes Robert jealous, so that's where we're at. I don't think this will be more than 2 or 3 chapters at most unless Robert and Cora decide to start running the story without my consent._

* * *

"Robert?" Cora spoke tentatively as she entered the library with a note in her hand. Robert silently set down the ledger he had been studying and took a deep breath. He recognized that tone of voice.

"Yes?" he asked, fixing his wife with what he hoped to be the look of a man who was in charge. He knew she was about to ask him something he probably would not like but would most likely not be able to say no to.

"You remember Mr. Walter Douglas?" Cora asked, stepping a little closer.

Robert's back straightened at the sound of the name. Of course he remembered Mr. Walter Douglas. The real question was, what reason could Cora possibly have to be thinking of him?

"Yes," Robert replied, dragging the word. "But why should he be of any concern to you? To us, I mean," he corrected himself hastily.

"You know I correspond with his sister," Cora replied matter-of-factly, looking down at the piece of paper in her hand.

"You do?" Robert asked rather densely. He had not been aware that she did.

"She was one of my closest friends back in Newport."

"Ahh, yes, of course." Robert had to confess to himself he had very little memory of the sister. What he remembered far more vividly was the admiration with which Mr. Douglas had been gazing at the newly made Viscountess when he and Cora had spent some time in New York and Newport following their wedding. It had been quite loudly whispered among the local society that before Cora's mother had decided to take her to Europe, a union between her and Mr. Douglas had been highly anticipated. It was, however, not something he had ever spoken to Cora openly about as he had felt their relationship at the time had not been on steady enough ground to warrant such private questions.

It took Robert a moment to realize that during his reflections, Cora had continued speaking, and he only managed to catch the end of what appeared to have been a longer account of the content of this friend's letter.

"…so as I was writing back to Cassandra, I thought we could invite her brother over for dinner since he knows so few people around here," she finished, looking up from her letter again.

Robert blinked. "Dinner?" he parroted. "Why?"

Cora gave him an exasperated look. "I just told you he is visiting England and will be in York next week. It would be polite to invite him at least to dine when I have known him since childhood. You have nothing against that, surely?"

"Uh, no," Robert stammered, "of course not. He and his family will be most welcome to Downton." Surely the man had to be married, he assured himself. He had probably missed the part where it had been mentioned.

But there was no such comfort to be had.

"Oh, it will be just him," Cora replied, pressing a quick kiss on Robert's cheek before turning to leave. "He has been a widower for many years now."

Unable to utter anything in response, Robert watched his wife go as he tried to make sense of the conversation they had just had. Finally he came to the unwelcome conclusion that he had just agreed to invite an old suitor of Cora's for dinner, and the thought did not please him at all. The timing could simply not have been worse as the man was likely to remind her of everything she had left behind at a time when the life she had chosen in Downton had recently been rocked with so much sorrow and adversity.

With gloomy thoughts, Robert stood up to fix himself a drink and, walking over to gaze out of the window, he downed the amber liquid with one great gulp. Of one thing he was absolutely certain: he did not have the smallest desire to meet this Mr. Walter Douglas again and even less he wanted his wife to renew the acquaintance.

* * *

"How many years is it since we last saw Mr. Douglas?" Robert asked, trying to strike an easy tone of conversation as he joined Cora in her dressing room before they would go down to greet their guest.

A week had passed without Cora ever returning to the subject of their expected guest but Robert's thoughts had been plagued by his approaching arrival almost incessantly. It did not help that he had to keep guessing whether Cora was studiously avoiding any mention of the man or if she simply was too indifferent to bring up the subject again.

"It must be more than thirty years," she replied to his query, a smile gracing her lips as she studied her reflection on the mirror. She looked remarkably beautiful, as Robert was sure she had to be well aware of, and he could not help wondering if she had made a special effort for Mr. Douglas. The pang of jealousy, as he looked at his wife's reflection, was unavoidable.

"I'm sure he will barely notice a difference when he sees you," Robert muttered almost unintelligibly, directing his words to a loose thread on the carpet that he suddenly found curiously offending.

"What was that, darling?"

Cora turned around at his words that she had been unable to make out and, while Robert kept his eyes cast down, walked over to him with a smile playing on her lips.

"Robert?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she brushed his shoulder with a gloved hand. "Is something the matter?"

Robert looked up, startled to find Cora suddenly so close, looking at him expectantly.

"No, nothing at all," he lied quickly, taking in her scent as she stood near him. Lavender. Why was she wearing lavender? It had always been his favourite smell on her.

"Are you sure you are not unwell?" There was a tone of teasing laced with real concern in Cora's voice as she sought Robert's eyes to find the answer.

Robert could only meet her gaze briefly, but it was enough at least to assure her he was not ill.

"We should probably go now before we are late," he said then, offering Cora his arm while avoiding the question.

As they descended the stairs, Robert wondered what thirty years had done to the man he could recall as having been quite handsome at one time. Secretly he was hoping to meet a bald, weather-beaten man with at least two chins and an ill-fitting suit, but at the same time he kept bracing himself for a charmingly aged gentleman with good posture, impeccable dental structure and a full head of hair.

Robert stole a glance at Cora, wondering if similar thoughts were running through her head at the very moment, and if so, what it was that _she_ hoped to see. Her face, however, bore no signs of anything but the general complaisance of a lady of the house prepared to meet a guest. It was a look she had mastered well over the years and one she had learned to wear no matter what her inner sentiments at any given time might have been. Robert could only reflect with remorse on how there had once been a time he had been uncertain of whether she would ever be fit to bear the title her marriage to him would bestow on her. How foolishly he had underestimated her then while being so sure of his own worth and entitlement.

"You look beautiful," he whispered as they reached downstairs, suddenly feeling very possessive of the woman by his side, wanting to mark her as his own in whatever way he could, if not by deed then at least by words. He watched as her lips curved into a smile at his compliment even though she did not turn to look at him, and for a moment Robert felt gratified until he realized that her eyes were in fact fixed on a tall, remarkably good looking gentleman standing in the hall next to Carson. The insufferably well groomed man could only be Mr. Douglas.

It took Robert all he had in him to force an expression on his face that vaguely resembled a smile as he approached the newcomer with Cora, and even more effort to politely welcome him to his house as a guest. It did not help that for Cora the reunion appeared to be effortless and she had soon not only welcomed Mr. Douglas to Downton, but also introduced him to Mary, Matthew and Edith who had all gathered to meet the American stranger. The only one missing appeared to be the dowager Lady Grantham.

"Where is the Dowager Countess?" Robert asked Carson at his earliest opportunity before they all moved through to the drawing room to wait for the dinner to be announced.

"I am afraid her Ladyship is indisposed," Carson replied with a curt bow. "Nothing too serious, but we received a word that she would not be joining us this evening."

Whether the Dowager Countess truly was indisposed or simply not inclined to spend an evening with an undomesticated American would have to remain a question for another day. Robert thanked Carson for the information and made his way to his wife's side which he realized he had left unguarded for too long already. Even as he took his place next to Cora, she sat listening to some tale by Mr. Douglas with a smile on her lips while Matthew periodically interjected the narrative with prompting questions and remarks.

Robert would have preferred to have had his mother at hand to help keep the American intruder on his toes, but it seemed instead that he would be left completely without support. The younger generation, Robert very quickly observed, would not be on his side as their fascination with the American and all the stories he had to share of his thriving enterprises only made him feel increasingly inadequate and out of place in the present company.


	2. Chapter 2

Throughout the dinner, Robert's eyes kept traveling between Cora and Mr. Douglas as the two merrily traded stories and memories from their youth. Their conversation appeared to interest the younger generation, much to Robert's chagrin as he realized they rarely got an opportunity to hear anything of their mother's youth. It was always Downton this and Downton that. Feeling more like an outsider by the minute, he remained stoically silent, finding his only comfort in the good wine that he liberally partook of while the others chatted away.

In short, Walter Douglas was a man of pleasing manners and a great deal of personal charm. He was good looking, intelligent and easy going, and appeared to have made an impression on everyone present, except for Robert. To him, the man was the personification of everything that was wrong in his world, and with every smile that Cora directed at Mr. Douglas, Robert hated him more until he could hardly bear it anymore.

He wanted to leave the table and drag Cora with him, and not let her go until she had assured him her heart still belonged to him – that this man who was making her smile and laugh was nothing to her.

It was almost as if Mr. Douglas's entire existence was making a mockery of Robert's. He had recently acquired a large estate near Newport. His business and investments were thriving and prosperous. He had a son and heir who by this time had all but taken over the running of his affairs, leaving him time to enjoy the benefits of the life his hard work had afforded him. And, the worst of all, apparently he was thinking of settling partly in England for his old age.

"But will you not miss your family in Newport?" Robert heard Cora inquire after their guest had laid out the initial details of his plan.

"I daresay I would," Mr. Douglas replied, his eyes steadily on Cora. "But I have long wished to spend more time in England, and you know when money is not an issue, there'll be no difficulty in traveling back and forth. Besides, there are people here as well who I have missed."

At these last words, Robert nearly choked on his venison. As he was seized by a vehement coughing fit, the conversation came to an immediate halt and, instead of getting to hear Cora's immediate response, he was forced to respond to her urgent concern by assuring her he was indeed perfectly fine.

With a glare towards Mr. Douglas once his coughing had subsided, Robert eventually continued eating in silence. It was Edith who picked up the conversation again.

"I did not realize you had any family in England?" she remarked, turning to Mr. Douglas who quickly became the center of everyone's attention again once they had been assured that Robert was in no immediate danger of choking to his early death.

"Not family," the man replied with a smooth smile, glancing at Cora again. "But there are some old friends who I haven't seen in far too long."

This was too obvious a hint. Robert could no longer remain silent. The wine he had imbibed had somewhat loosened his self-control, and so, before he could stop himself, he cleared his throat and interjected:

"Are you sure your old friends still want to see you?" The tone of his voice was edgy and held none of his usual politeness.

"Robert!" Cora hissed, casting a stern look in his direction. Robert met her reproachful gaze and blushed. He knew he had gone too far but the fact that Cora had been so quick to admonish him did nothing to help his mood, even if her duty as the hostess would not have been satisfied with anything less. For Robert, duty and manners had flown out of the window the moment he had become certain that Mr. Douglas had his eye on Cora.

"I apologize for my blunt question," he amended rigidly, his tone hardly any politer. "I'm sure your friends would be more than happy to receive you, Mr. Douglas."

"I certainly hope they would," his guest replied good-naturedly, only managing to annoy Robert more with his easy manners. "But I grant you it is a fair question. 30 years is a long time for memories to fade." Mr. Douglas's eyes were drawn to Cora again and, following their movement, so were Robert's. While Mr. Douglas undoubtedly was hoping to see a reaction from her, Robert was dearly wishing for the opposite. Any sign of indifference would have been more than welcome to him.

To Robert's dismay, however, Cora looked up from her plate and straight at Mr. Douglas.

"Well, I for one am happy to see you again," she replied, offering him a smile. "I hope you'll find your other friends as welcoming."

Robert shifted in his chair, almost ready to throw in his napkin and storm out. _Welcoming, indeed_, he thought while taking another long sip of wine. His eyes remained on Cora for a long while, sullenly searching her face and hoping to catch her eye for any kind of assurance, but she did not even glance in his direction.

At length, Robert's gloomy reflections were interrupted by Matthew's voice. The conversation had meandered on in the absence of his mind but eventually, through his jumbled and somewhat inebriated thoughts, he was able to discern that his son-in-law appeared to be asking if he and Cora had ever been to America during their marriage.

This, at last, drew Cora's eyes to Robert again, but the initial smile on her face was soon replaced by a frown as she noticed his confused state and a face reddened by too much wine.

"Uh, yes," Robert was eventually able to reply, unable to meet the questioning look in Cora's eyes now that she finally was looking at him. "We visited shortly after our wedding," he mumbled, directing his words mainly towards his own plate.

"If I had known then that it was to be your last visit, I would have insisted on spending much more time with you both," Mr. Douglas cut in, courteously involving Robert in his remark even though his meaning seemed clearly enough to indicate a preference to Cora's company in particular.

"I'm sure you would have," Robert muttered under his breath, not exactly intending to be heard but not particularly caring even if he was. When he instinctively looked up at Cora, he could immediately tell that she, at least, had heard him. Her perplexed look that seemed to be mixed with frustration and something that looked like concern was met by Robert's impetuous stare. At least he finally had her attention, for better or for worse.

Others, whether they had heard his outburst or not, seemed to be determined to act as if they had heard nothing.

Matthew cleared his throat and addressed his next words to Cora:

"Don't you ever miss your old home?" he asked, tucking in to the last bits of food on his plate. "I can't imagine what it must have been like to leave everything behind."

"Perhaps you can imagine better than most," Cora replied, turning from Robert to Matthew with a smile that spoke of her gratitude for moving the conversation forward. "It can't have been so different from the turn your own life must have taken when you were brought to Downton." She paused, glancing at Mr. Douglas and then turning her eyes to Robert again. The latter wished he could have discerned her thoughts but whatever expression her eyes had first held, it soon disappeared as she proceeded to let her eye scan the length of the table and quickly observing that everyone had finished their meal. At that moment, it was time for Cora to check out and for Lady Grantham to check in.

"I think it's time to move through," she said, offering a warm, rehearsed smile to her dinner companions as she stood up to show the way. "Robert, Matthew," she said, giving her husband a pointed look. "I trust you will be generous with Mr. Douglas." Then, turning to her two daughters, she motioned them to follow her out of the dining room.

Robert, having stood up to see the ladies off, sank back into his chair as soon as they had disappeared out of sight. Suddenly he felt nauseous and dizzy, simultaneously both unable and unwilling to perform the duties of a host. In a moment of clarity he realized he had behaved boorishly throughout the dinner and even if Cora hadn't originally felt inclined to prefer Mr. Douglas, it would be no wonder if after tonight she would. He knew she had every reason to be angry with him and no reason at all to accept him in her bed later.

She had wanted to invite Mr. Douglas for dinner and he had agreed to it, only to behave like an impetuous child once the man actually arrived. In his heart of hearts, he knew he could not even fault Cora if she were to stray. After everything he had put her through, almost cheating on her himself in a moment of unforgivable folly, what right had he to expect continued fidelity from her in return?

The implied thought made Robert sick to his stomach. Whether he had any right to expect anything, he knew he could not share Cora – not her body and most certainly not her heart, even if he had to stoop down to his knees and beg for her to remain his.

Absentmindedly, Robert watched in silence as Matthew stepped in to perform the duties that he had neglected, offering Mr. Douglas a drink before settling in to discuss matters of general interest with him.

Finally he could take it no longer. Standing up with sudden alacrity, Robert hurriedly announced he would retire for the night, expressed his apologies and asked them to be relayed to the ladies as well, before hastening off towards the quiet darkness of his dressing room. The only thing he knew for certain was that he would only make a greater fool of himself by staying, even if leaving meant long hours in the company of nothing but his own imagination, trying to picture what would be happening downstairs in his absence.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** I'm sorry it has taken me forever to update, and equally sorry that this update is very short. I just wanted to post something to be able to say that I have not forgotten this story and I do intend to finish it even though I've been too busy lately to write much. All the reviews are very much appreciated! :)_

* * *

Robert wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had escaped the ghastly dinner. His dressing room had been dark when he had entered it, lit only by the now dimming glow of the fireplace, and nothing had disturbed its silence since. A bottle of whisky as his only company, Robert had spent his evening wallowing in self-pity, unable to shake the images conjured up by his over productive mind – images that mainly consisted of his wife and Mr. Douglas in various compromising positions, laughing together about her lucky escape from a useless husband.

It was during one such nightmare-like vision when suddenly a soft knock on the door aroused Robert from his stupor. For a moment he felt disoriented.

"Come in," he finally managed to speak up when the knock was heard again, a little more demanding this time. As he spoke, Robert made an effort to sit up straight in a vain attempt to appear more put together than he felt, but the dizzying effects of the alcohol he had consumed made it somewhat difficult. The only thought that occurred to him was that it might be knocking on the door, and there was enough dignity left in him to want to carry himself well in front of a servant. He had not called for his valet, but if the party was breaking up, perhaps Bates had come to check on him regardless.

The concern turned out to be unnecessary.

The door creaked open and before Robert's eyes stood his wife, cutting a striking silhouette between the well-lit corridor and the darkness of the dressing room.

Robert blinked, his eyes not used to the light.

"You didn't leave?" he squeaked in a voice that he barely recognized as his own. It was the sight of her now that made Robert realize a part of him had actually feared she would run away into the night with Mr. Douglas.

"Leave?" Cora stepped forward, closing the door behind her. It seemed whatever she had intended to say earlier was forgotten as she took in the state of her husband.

"Where would I have gone?" she asked softly, crossing the room as she spoke and removing the bottle of whisky from Robert's grip before he could react. Wordlessly she walked over to the fireplace and set the bottle down on the mantelpiece.

"I thought maybe you'd run off with him," Robert muttered grumpily, his only comfort taken away. "You two were having so much fun."

"Is that what this is all about?" Cora asked, her brows furrowing. "The drinking, the rude remarks, and the sudden disappearance? All because of Walter…because of Mr. Douglas?"

"Walter?" Robert snapped. His head shot up at the slip Cora had made. "He's Walter to you now?"

Cora sighed, perching down on the edge of Robert's bed, opposite his seat.

"Robert, I have known him my entire life," she explained calmly. "He was Walter to me long before we grew too old to be addressing each other that way anymore. It's always been hard for me to think of him as anything but Walter."

Robert swallowed. He felt his heart constrict in his chest as his mind was suddenly filled with un-beckoned images of young Cora and Walter exchanging vows of undying devotion before her departure to England.

"I understand," he said quietly, looking down at his now empty hands, wishing he still had the bottle.

"Robert?" Cora stood up, walked over to the chair Robert was occupying and crouched down in front of him. "How much have you had to drink?" She glanced at the bottle she had recently confiscated. It was half empty. "I'm not sure that you do understand. You're not yourself."

_"How could I be when my wife is in love with another man?"_ he wanted to exclaim but instead he only shrugged, his eyes focusing with some difficulty on the concerned face of his wife.

"You should get some sleep," Cora said softly, brushing a hand against Robert's forehead. "We can continue this tomorrow."

Before she could get up, Robert reached out his hand to grab hers, stopping her from leaving as a sudden desperation took over him.

"Please, Cora," he said, fully aware of how pathetic he sounded but unable to stop himself. "Please don't leave me."

His action was only meant to stop Cora from retiring to her room, but as he spoke, Robert knew the words had a deeper meaning to him. He was begging her not to leave him in every sense of those words, and at that moment he wished he had drunk less as he feared Cora would not take anything he said seriously. She certainly did not seem to think it worthwhile to have a discussion with him right now.

"I'm only going to ring for Bates," she replied gently but assertively, clasping his hand between both of hers instead of pulling away. "We need to get you to bed."

"Which bed?" Robert couldn't help asking.

Cora looked puzzled, as if the question of where he should sleep had never even occurred to her.

"Whichever you want, of course," she replied with some confusion. "Did you want to sleep here?"

"No," Robert exclaimed quickly. "I just thought _you_ would want me to sleep here."

"Not unless you do," Cora replied, making to leave again, but Robert kept his hold of her hand.

"Robert, what is it?" Her tone was not harsh but there was a hint of exasperation in her voice. The hour was late and Robert realized, even in his hazy state of mind, that she would probably rather be preparing for her bed by now and he couldn't possibly be endearing himself to her with his current behaviour.

"Nothing," he replied, letting go of her hand.

* * *

_**A/N:** I knoow. Poor Robert. :( I promise things will get better! Or will they? *evil author grin*_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** I'm sorry it took me so long to write the conclusion. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, or even just read this story. It was fun to write. :)_

* * *

Bates, with his usual discretion, asked no questions as he helped Robert prepare for the night. Perhaps sensing his lordship's restlessness, he moved about quickly and wordlessly, finishing the evening routine in record time and with a minimum amount of fuss.

As Bates took his leave, Robert knew it was unlikely that Cora would be ready yet and so, wanting at all cost to avoid the risk of running into O'Brien, he decided to return to his earlier seat for a moment.

The bottle of whisky that Cora had taken from him earlier still stood on the mantelpiece where she had placed it, but Robert had lost all appetite for the drink. On the contrary, he was now determined not to cause Cora any more bother with his behaviour, and for that he needed his mind to clear as much as possible before entering her bedroom.

As time ticked away Robert felt his anxiety, momentarily pushed aside by the arrival of Bates, returning in full force. With a clearer head he could soon see that Cora would not leave him despite what her own sentiments might be. She was a lady in the truest sense of the word, and he knew she would never expose herself of her family to such a scandal, but it was hardly a comforting thought. The thought of having her presence without her heart was just as unbearable as the thought of not having her at all. Perhaps even more so.

When finally he heard the door of the adjacent room open and close, Robert stood up to hear the retreating footsteps of his wife's maid as she hurried down the corridor and into the servants' passage. After a few minutes of continued silence had assured him the coast was clear, Robert finally walked over to the door that joined his dressing room to their shared bedroom and turned the handle.

He found Cora already settled on her side of the bed, propped against the pillows with an unopened book in hand. She looked up to see Robert as he entered the room but no words were spoken until he had shed off his robe and climbed into the bed on his side.

Robert wished Cora would be the one to break the silence because he was too afraid to start asking the questions to which he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answers, but her eyes were fixed on the cover of the book in her hands and her mind seemed to be miles away. Perhaps her thoughts were even now on Mr. Douglas, Robert thought with a sinking feeling.

At last, he could no longer bear the silence:

"You must be angry with me," he spoke quietly. It was a statement rather than a question.

At this, Cora finally shifted her eyes from the book and turned to face Robert.

"I'm not angry," she said, giving him a tired smile. He returned it reservedly.

"I- I hope Mr. Douglas wasn't offended," Robert continued with some effort, forcing the words out of his mouth.

"I'm sure he wasn't," she replied wearily. Then, after a short pause: "But if you are concerned, you will have an opportunity to apologize in the morning. The weather was so bad I invited him to stay over the night."

"Stay over the night?" Robert exclaimed. Then he remembered his earlier decision, cleared his throat, and added with more composure: "I mean, of course he is most welcome to stay."

"You know, he's really quite a nice man," Cora said, her voice a little edgy. "If you tried to have a conversation with him you might find…"

"Nice?" Robert interrupted her, incredulous. This was too much. He could try to remain civil, but like the man? Never.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Robert, really," she sighed, exasperated. "Just because he is American and hasn't studied at all the finest schools of England doesn't mean he would make unbearable company."

Robert gaped at her for a moment, unable to understand how his being American was relevant.

"Maybe he isn't noble and fashionable enough by your standards," Cora continued while Robert remained silent, "but I would have thought you would have been civil at least on my account."

"So I was just supposed to sit back and watch my wife being courted by an old flame?" Robert countered, unable to hold on to his resolution any longer.

Cora opened her mouth to reply and then closed it again, a confused expression crossing over her face. Robert felt his pulse quicken as he feared what she would say next, but to his surprise, she let out a laugh.

"Is _that_ what this is all about?" she asked, giving Robert an inquiring look. "You thought he was _courting _me?"

It was Robert's turn to frown. "What else would this be about?" he asked incredulously.

"I thought you didn't approve of him because he is American and of new money."

Robert felt a new pang in his chest. Was that really what Cora of thought of him?

"What? No," he said quickly. "No, I can assure you that was the last thing on my mind." He paused, then lowered his voice and added: "I was too busy looking at how much you seemed to be enjoying his company to care about anything else."

"Oh Robert," Cora sighed, touching his cheek gently, her expression softening. "Why would you even think of anything like that?"

Robert still felt apprehensive. Was she avoiding a direct answer or was he really just being ridiculous?

"So you are…not in love Mr. Douglas?" he asked hesitantly, pulling away from Cora's touch to look her directly in the eye.

"In love?" Cora repeated seemingly amused. "I haven't even seen him in almost 30 years. Why would I suddenly be in love with him?"

Robert blushed. He had chosen the wrong word. "Maybe not in love," he amended, "but I couldn't help wondering when I saw you two together…I still can't help wondering," he added, "If you had to make the choice again, wouldn't you rather have chosen him? You seemed to enjoy his company quite a bit."

"Robert," Cora said, taking his hand into hers. This time her whole countenance was entirely serious. "If I seemed to be paying him any extra attention, it was only to compensate for your lack of warmth towards him. You must know it was never a choice between you and him. Not thirty years ago and most certainly not now."

"But…" Robert was at a loss for words, suddenly trying to replay the events of the past evening in the light of what Cora had just told him.

Had he really been the cause of his own discomfort?

"Then you are definitely not in love with him?" He still had to hear the words coming from her own lips.

Cora smiled at him, squeezing his hand.

"Most definitely not," she assured him.

Robert swallowed. There was one more question he needed to ask before he could be at ease.

"And are you…" he paused to search for the right words, looking at Cora almost pleadingly. "That is, I know life's not been very easy for us lately, but do I still make you happy?"

"Oh Robert," Cora sighed, shaking her head slightly while a smile slowly formed on her lips.

"If I don't," he continued quickly before she could respond, "please tell me what I can do to rectify it, because I could never be happy if I didn't have you happy by my side."

"Hush," Cora replied, pressing a finger against his lips to gently silence him. "I've loved you longer than you have loved me, and I'm not about to stop. I could never be happy on anyone's side but yours."

Finally, Robert felt his whole body relax.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, taking her finger off his lips and pulling the whole hand towards himself. "I know it's not been the easiest year to be married to me."

"I didn't marry you because I thought it would be easy," Cora replied with a reassuring smile.

"You married me because I had a title," Robert pointed out, starting feel comfortable enough to add a hint of teasing.

Cora chuckled.

"That's why my parents wanted me to marry you," she pointed out, pressing a spontaneous kiss on Robert's lips and then scrunching her nose at the lingering fumes of alcohol in his breath. "I married you because I thought I was in love with you."

"You thought?" Robert replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, when I _actually _fell in love with my husband, I came to realize what I _thought_ had been love before was really just a young girl's infatuation."

Robert took a deep breath, pulling her hand to his lips and then pressing it against his cheek, leaning towards its caress.

"Cora," he sighed, feeling both elated by her words and ashamed of his own earlier actions. "I'm so sorry I ever doubted you."

"I'm sorry if I gave you reason to," Cora replied, looking at him earnestly. "It was definitely never my intention."

"No, I was just being a jealous fool," Robert replied, chuckling as he thought back to his own behaviour now. "I promise I will apologize to Mr. Douglas first thing tomorrow morning."

With no more explanations or apologies needed, they both settled down to rest, Robert pulling Cora as close to him as possible before allowing sleep to claim him.

"I still think he had an eye on you though," he muttered just as they were both about to drift off.

"Well he is only human," Cora replied with a low chuckle, pulling his arm more tightly around her.

Robert could not deny the truth of her words.


End file.
